April 16, 2011 - Tobacco control experts are urging the Dutch government to launch information campaigns funded by a doubling of the price of secondhandsmokecigarettes, after a new study showed an “alarming” ignorance of the dangers of passive smoking.

The study, by researchers at Maastricht University for the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project, coincides with this week’s European conference on tobacco and health in Amsterdam ;, aimed at putting tobacco control higher on the political and social agenda. THe latest Tobacco Control Scale, a report on measures to combat smoking by the Association of European Cancer Leagues, placed the Netherlands joint 13th out of 30 countries, behind Turkey and Italy<br><br><a href=">The Tobacco Control Scale 2010 in Europe Luk Joossens Martin Raw) Its position may reflect the recent decision to allow smoking once more in small cafes Netherlands - smoking ban lifted in small cafes with no staff.. of passive smoking and the low average price of a packet of cigarettes in the Netherland, estimated at €5.05 (£4.45; $7.18), less than half the €11.24 (16.2204 USD) in Norway.

The Maastricht University study found that just 61% of Dutch smokers agree that cigarette smoke is dangerous to non-smokers. In France the percentage is 96% and in China it is 93%. It also showed that only 70% of Dutch smokers recognise a direct link between passive smoking and lung cancer in non-smokers (94% in France). Only 9% of Dutch smokers thought about the harm to others (42% in the United Kingdom).

Geoffrey Fong, of the International Tobacco Control project, said that understanding harm was the key to tobacco control. “As a signatory to the WHO framework convention on tobacco control the Netherlands has a duty to inform its people about the dangers of smoking,” he said.

Marc Willemsen, who led the Dutch study, described the findings as “alarming,” particularly as the Dutch health ministry had recently decided to discontinue funding for media campaigns to educate smokers.

“We knew that there was a large degree of toleration—that is part of our culture—but we had no idea that the basic level of knowledge was so low,” said Professor Willemsen, who blamed the absence of campaigns on the health dangers of smoking. He believes that the government is afraid of appearing to be too “nannying.”

He said, “The health minister has told parliament that she does not want to finance campaigns in the areas of lifestyle behaviour and has specially mentioned smoking as an example.”

Lies van Gennip, chief executive of Stivoro, the Dutch expert centre on tobacco control, said that it was of utmost importance to raise knowledge. “It is shocking that people in Holland know less about the damage from passive smoking than in China,” she said. She called for “proven effective measures,” such as graphic warnings on cigarette packets and increasing the cost of a packet of cigarettes, which could be gradually doubled to €10 to match the price in other countries. This call has sparked a campaign against the organisation in the social media.

The health minister, Edith Schippers, wrote to MPs on 31 March accepting that public knowledge about the harms of passive smoking seemed to be low.

IN less than two years after the move to Richmond Philip Morris USA has again won the title of “Asthma Capital” of the U.S. for the second year in a row. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America also ranked Virginia Beach in the top 10 most challenging places to live with asthma.

The group's rankings are based on scoring of a variety of factors in the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. The foundation has conducted the study for eight years.

Richmond ranked 14th in 2009, but jumped to the top spot last year. The group says Richmond's ranking is based on factors including a higher than average pollen score, continued poor air quality, a lack of public smoking bans, and high poverty and uninsured rates.

Does the production of million of cigarettes results in continued poor air quality??

“Although Richmond is a particularly difficult place for people with asthma to live, asthma triggers are present in every American city,” Mike Tringale, a spokesman with the group said in a news release. “There is no way for asthma patients to escape their disease, but no matter where they live, patients can work with their physicians to find ways to control their symptoms better.”

Asthma is characterized by inflammation of the lungs resulting in chronic wheezing, coughing and difficulty breathing. It causes more than 4,000 deaths annually and more than 500,000 hospitalizations, as well as $18 billion in medical expenses and indirect costs each year.

The first three are city states and have a somewhat different constitution from the others.

Contrary to claims by breweries, the catering industry and tobacco firms, the imposition of smoking bans in German states has not dampened sales. The southern state of Bavaria, for example — which has the strongest anti-smoking laws in Germany — has seen catering industry sales rise by 1.5 percent in the second half of 2010, versus the same period a year earlier. In contrast, bars and restaurants in North Rhine-Westphalia, the German state with a range of means exempting smokers from bans, has seen its catering trade income sink by 3.1 percent in the same time span.

The prevalence of loopholes in North Rhine-Westphalia is illustrated by the city of Essen, where only a third of its 362 bars are smoke free. Many of the bars and cafes have found ways to sidestep the smoking ban, for example by forming so-called smoking clubs.

Germany and ‘Smoke-Free Europe’

Barbara Steffens, of the Green Party, who is the state health minister in North Rhine-Westphalia, wants to tighten her region’s lax smoking laws — prompting an outcry from the beer industry. But the reality of the regional sales figures contradict the oft-repeated fear that businesses will suffer if punters are not allowed to light up.

Germany’s smoking bans have long been a patchwork affair with individual states determining regional measures. The result has been that many bars manage to keep their doors open to smokers. Six months ago, European Union Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli of Malta called for new rules that would help bring about his goal of a ” smoke-free Europe.” (European Union - commission wants no exceptions to smoking bans..)

April 16, 2011 - After years of contentious debate, a northern Kentucky county will be the first in that part of the state to ban smoking in most public places come Friday, April 15th.

Each year more than 8,000 Kentuckians die of illnesses caused by tobacco use. Some die of lung cancer, while others fall victim to cardiovascular disease. Annually, Medicaid and Medicare costs exceed an estimated $1.2 billion for treatment of Kentuckians suffering smoking-related diseases and conditions. This equals $300 for each of the 4 million people living in Kentucky. (KY Department of PUblic Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program)

The controversial ordinance says Kenton County offices and public establishments such as restaurants, churches, bowling alleys, bingo halls and retail stores must go smoke-free, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Private clubs and "drinking establishments" meeting certain requirements can apply for an exemption, the newspaper said.

Health advocates say comprehensive smoke-free laws are needed to protect employees and customers from the hazards of secondhand smoke, while opponents of the ban argue it infringes on the rights of businesses and property owners.

But both sides say the partial ban allowing exemptions for some, but not all public places, is confusing and will be difficult to enforce.

"We have a lot of experience with other communities, like Louisville, which eventually strengthened their ordinance to a comprehensive smoke-free law because of enforcement issues," said Ellen Hahn, director of the Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy at the University of Kentucky.

"It's really a matter of everyone deserves to breathe clean air, and why do we give exemptions for some and not for others?" Hahn said. "From an enforcement standpoint, it's much easier if it's comprehensive.

Vhe Kenton County Health Department has helped by distributing tool-kits, posting sample signs and reminder cards on their website.

There will be consequences for businesses who don't comply with the new law.

"Well, as the ordinance says, the first time we find a violation, the owner will receive a warning," Dr. Lynne Saddler, Northern Kentucky Health Department, "But along with that warning we will also provide the education to help them understand what's wrong and what they have to do to fix the non-compliance with the ordinance."

More than 5,500 businesses in Kenton County will be affected by the law.

"I missed this," says the woman, a regular customer, with an American accent, as Phil Collins?s "I Can Feel It" blares in the background.

Griya Balur would be shut down in many parts of the world, but not in Indonesia, one of the developing-country new frontiers for big tobacco as it seeks to replace its dwindlin

Griya Balur founder Dr Gretha Zahar said she had treated 60,000 people with tobacco smoke over the past decade. With a PhD in nanochemistry from Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java, Zahar believes that by manipulating the mercury in tobacco smoking can cure all diseases including cancer, and even reverse the ageing process.

"Mercury is the cause of all illnesses. In my cigarettes - we call them Divine Cigarettes - there are scavengers that extract the mercury from the body," she said.

ndonesia's biggest cigarette manufacturer, PT HM Sampoerna, is an affiliate of Philip Morris International. British American Tobacco bought Indonesia's fourth largest cigarette maker, PT Bentoel, for $494 million in 2009.

The government reaps about seven billion dollars a year in excise taxes from the industry, which employs scores of thousands of people around Temanggung in Central Java.

Cigarettes cost about one dollar for a pack of 20, yet they are often the second biggest item of household expenditure after food for the Southeast Asian country's poorest families.

According to the World Health Organisation, smoking rates have risen six-fold in Indonesia over the last 40 years.

Smoking kills at least 400,000 people every year and another 25,000 die from passive smoking.

Delaware County officials will be asked to widen the county's five-year-old smoking ban to include businesses exempted in 2006, including bars, taverns, private clubs and tobacco stores.

The county board of health is likely to consider the ban -- proposed by the Tobacco-Free Coalition of Delaware County -- at its 7 p.m. meeting today, while the county commissioners -- who will have final say on the ordinance -- could receive it as early as Monday.

The ban would not affect private residences and vehicles, noted Commissioner Don Dunnuck, an attorney who also drafted the smoking ban ordinance based on proposed statewide legislation.

The tobacco industry owes millions in healthcare - at least that’s what Missouri hospitals say. According to the hospitals, the tobacco industry has cost them millions of dollars in healthcare for patients being treated for smoking-related illnesses who can’t pay their medical expenses.

More than 40 area hospitals, along with the city of St. Louis, sued Altria Group Inc., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and other cigarette makers back in 1998, claiming that the tobacco giants manipulated the nicotine content in cigarettes and did not properly inform consumers of the risks associated with smoking.

Kenneth Brostron, a lawyer for the hospitals, said the tobacco companies should take responsibility for their actions. But the tobacco companies deny any responsibility for patient care costs and any financial losses to the hospitals.

The lawsuit went to trial in January and is the third such claim to reach trial. The first, in Ohio in 1999, was won by the tobacco industry. The second trial resulted in the awarding of $17.8 million to a health insurer in New York in 2001. The decision was reversed on appeal in 2004.

Thirty-seven of the more than 40 hospitals in Missouri remain in the lawsuit. They are seeking approximately $455 million from the tobacco industry. Due to the fact that the trial may last six to seven months, the court has sent out surveys to 6,000 potential jurors to find 12 people who can commit for such a long time. The court is hoping to pull together a pool of about 600 from the surveys and then begin sorting out those based on biases.

More than 30 hospitals are seeking $1 billion from cigarette makers, claiming their products caused serious, preventable illnesses that the hospitals were forced to treat. They say the money will go towards recovering funds spent on treating uninsured patients and those who did not pay their medical bills, going back to 1993. The cigarette companies argue that because the hospitals did not suffer direct damage from cigarettes, they should not be allowed to collect money for other people’s problems. The case could be precedent-setting for similar cases around the country.

Both sides have been going through pretrial arguments for nearly 12 years, since the hospitals first filed their lawsuit in November 1998. (CITY OF ST. LOUIS, et al., Plaintiffs, v. AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, INC., et al., Defendants. No. 4:98CV02087 ERW, July 2, 1999))

In 2001, Judge Michael Calvin ruled that the case was worthy of a jury trial, but it has been stalled in the “discovery” stage ever since, as the two sides battle to produce admissible evidence.

Experts expect it to set precedents for similar cases across the country, as it is the only one of its kind to leap some legal hurdles that killed more than 160 similar cases in courts across the country.

The hospitals are seeking to recover losses for patients treated since 1993, which is potentially $1 billion.

Initially, the plaintiffs were 44 hospitals, including most of the major facilities in St. Louis, plus the city itself on behalf of its clinics and the now-closed City Hospital. Nearly a dozen have since dropped out for various reasons.

April 15, 2011 - According to the China Daily, the Legislative Council Panel on Security held a special meeting on Friday to discuss the situation concerning the illicit trade in cigarettes that has risen since the increase of 41.5 per cent in the tobacco duty on 23 February. (Hong Kong - Tax increase adds HK$10 (1.28 USD) to cigarette price..)

At the panel meeting, Tam Yiu-keung, assistant commissioner of the Customs and Excise Department said that in recent years, sales of illicit cigarettes through "telephone booking" have been on the rise, coupled with an increase of cross-border couriers carrying small quantities each time.

The department says it will augment law enforcement on various fronts, including raids, the use of undercover agents and tracking of warehouses where illicit cigarettes are stocked.

Several lawmakers expressed concern about the limited number of customs officers deployed to tackle illicit cigarettes. (pi)

April 15, 2011 Menthol Cigarette Cancer – A study about menthol cigarette cancer has revealed good news and bad news. Good news is that menthol cigarette cancer rate is similar to any other cigarette caused lung cancer. The menthol cigarette study results came at a time when the FDA is already contemplating on the menthol cigarette ban.

People in 12 southern states were used as a basis for the menthol cigarette study.440 people with lung cancer were observed together with 2,213 other people who do not have the disease. Those that consume 20 or more cigarettes per day reveal a 12 times more likely of acquiring the disease than those who don't.

Aside from that, regular smokers are 21 times more likely to have lung cancer that those who do not smoke.

According to the authors of the study, "Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of premature death in the United States, but undue emphasis on reduction of menthol relative to other cigarettes may distract from the ultimate health prevention message that smoking of any cigarettes is injurious to health".

The rise in the incidence of young smokers have forced governments to issue vigorous legislation to combat the rise.

????? Recently, flavored cigarettes have been banned in Canada but as of the moment cigarette menthols are exempt from the legislation.

April 15, 2011 - A bill that aims at reinstating cigarette tax stamps has been introduced in the General Assembly of North Carolina, reports the Winston-Salem Journal.

North Carolina is one of three states which do not use cigarette stamps to collect excise tax. The General Assembly eliminated it in 1993, arguing that the revenue produced from the excise tax - which at that time was USD 0.05 a pack - was not worth the administrative, logistics and enforcement costs of the stamps.

The tax is now USD 0.45 a pack and analysts say annual excise-tax revenue worth USD 1 million could be gained by reviving the stamp.

April 15, 2011 When it comes to tobacco regulation, Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), acknowledges that there might be discord on occasion. But as he told retailers and manufacturers at the NATO Show Thursday, April 14th communication is an important focus of the CTP, even during those times.

"We want to establish a relationship of good communication and trust," he said. "We may not always agree on everything. But we can disagree on things, but we don't need to be disagreeable. And we need to keep communicating with each other about how this is all going, so that we can all learn for each other."

He added, "Tobacco retailers, we know you're on the front line of protecting our youth from initiating tobacco use.... Tobacco retailers are crucial to us at FDA to help keep tobacco out of the hands of kids."

Deyton also outlined what's up next for his organization, including the recent discussions around menthol cigarettes. In March, the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) reported that "removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States." Deyton said, "The Tobacco Products Scientific Committee is just that--it's advisory.... That committee's advisory does not set FDA policy; FDA sets FDA policy."

He said the FDA is considering the report and an industry perspective document, which could "take some time," but promised the first progress report will be available in June.Also in June, the FDA will issue a final rule on the graphic health warnings, proposed in November. Those warnings will have to be put in place by manufacturers in September of next year. (Click here for previous CSP Daily News coverage of the FDA's warning labels.)

TPSAC also will be looking at dissolvable products, and will issue a report by March 2012.

April of next year will be a busy time for the CTP, as it will establish a list of harmful and potentially harmful constituents, publish that list and begin educating constituents about it. The center will also issue guidance or regulation on the scientific evidence to be used to assess modified risk tobacco products. Manufacturers must submit information to the FDA proving that their products are modified risk, if they want to market them that way. "If they do effectively prove it and FDA agrees, they can market it as having modified risk. But we have to establish what those standards are," Deyton said.

When asked if it's possible to prevent youth access to tobacco products, without "complete prohibition" of them, Deyton said he didn't know the answer. "The law says that these are legal products in this country.... I do think that big-picture goal is achievable."

He reiterated that retailers are important to that process. "Your understanding of tobacco use, tobacco sales, and tobacco marketing in this country is huge for us to understand, so we can together achieve those kinds of public health goals that the law intends for us."

When it comes to cigars, tobacco shops draw 23% of their tobacco revenue from the category, while c-stores were at 7%. Tobacco shops had an average of 430 cigar SKUs, while c-stores carried 59. Our survey actually found there was equally as much engagement and enthusiasm about some of the packaging innovation."

For pipe tobacco, the c-store is a "marginal player," according to Mitch Morrison, vice president and group editor of CSP magazine. The category accounted for 1% of c-store tobacco revenues, and four SKUs. In tobacco shops, it accounted 7% of revenue. Tobacco shops averaged 31 SKUs of standard and 14 SKUs of hookah; Morrison added that there has been "an uptick in consumer preference for hookah" lately.

Cigarettes were an area where there was a lot of commonality between c-stores and tobacco shops, although they accounted for 80% of tobacco revenue in c-stores and 51% in tobacco shops. Tobacco shops generally carried 238 SKUs, while c-stores hold 182.

Moist smokeless tobacco (MST) accounted for 6% of tobacco revenues in tobacco shops, and 9% in c-stores. Tobacco shops carried an average of 47 SKUs, while c-stores were not far behind with 37 SKUs. Morrison said, "As tobacco sets start to shift from cigarette heavy in convenience stores, we're seeing greater featuring of MST, both in terms of premium and nonpremium brands."

For cigarettes, Marlboro Special Blend "had taken off" with 28% of the votes. Morrison said he was also "pleasantly surprised" by Newport Non-Menthol's 10%, since it only debuted a couple of months prior to the survey. He added, however, that pricing incentives could be playing a role.

For MSTs, Copenhagen wintergreen had 30% of the votes. While vibrancy is good for manufacturers' bottom lines, Morrison said they are also looking at what is happening overseas and spending many advertising dollars to raise awareness. Retailers, he said, should be examining how they can be "piggybacking" on those efforts.

April 14, 2011 - As scheduled, Japan Tobacco (JT) resumed shipments of seven products in Japan on April 11 following the disruption that was caused to its operations by the earthquake and tsunami that struck the north east of Japan on March 11.

Nine additional products, including Mild Seven Lights and Caster Mild, will be shipped from April 25, and a further nine products, including Hope and Peace Lights Box, will be shipped from May 9, though, in the initial stages of these two phases of the renewed shipping operations, volumes will be limited.

But, by May 9, JT will be shipping all of the 25 key products that it identified on April 1.Japan Tobacco Inc will resume shipments of seven tobacco products including Mild Seven and Seven Stars on April 11 as scheduled. The company plans to expand its shipments and ship its mainstay 25 products from mid-May, it said.

The company has been suspending shipments of all its 97 tobacco products due to difficulties in procuring materials following the March 11 massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

10.04.2011) The World Medical Association will step up its fight against smoking with proposals to ban the production, distribution and sale of candy products that depict or resemble tobacco products.

At their three-day Council meeting in Sydney, Australia, (April 7-9) WMA delegates agreed to recommend to their annual Assembly in October plans to strengthen the organisation's anti tobacco policy to combat moves by the tobacco industry to make their products more appealing to young people.

Delegates argued that the WMA should extend its policy to include restrictions on smokeless tobacco and tobacco-derived products, including prohibiting all government subsidies for tobacco-derived products.

Dr. Ardis Hoven, chair of the Board of the American Medical Association, said the tobacco industry was now involved in aggressively promoting new forms of cigarettes, such as smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes in shops and on the internet to attract and appeal to young people, and the WMA needed to respond strongly.

Dr. Mukesh Haikerwal, chair of the WMA Council, said he and his colleagues were delighted with this week's major announcement at the WMA meeting by Australia's Health Minister on plain packaging for cigarettes.

‘The WMA welcomes the stringent measures of the Australian Government to progress tobacco control in this country and we hope this will be followed by other nations.'

J.R. Reynolds Tobacco Camel Dissolvables Products: Orbs (spherical object), which is a pellet (dissolves in the mouth, like breath mints) that lasts about 15 minutes; Sticks (twisted) can be placed in the mouth like a toothpick or broken into a pieces that are placed between the upper lip and gum, where they dissolve after 10 minutes; and edible film Strips for the tongue, which dissolve after about 3 minutes (e.g., like Listerine PocketPak breath strips). Flavors - Strips will come in fresh mint flavor and Sticks in Mellow; Orbs will be available in both flavors.

Each product is convenient user-friendly dosage form containing amounts of the nicotine to render the user a slave to this addictive substance for many years to come. As pointed out by Dr. Connolly these nicotine dosage forms are easier to tolerate so kids will become possible life-long nicotine addicts at a much younger age compared with cigarette initiation.

“India has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world with 75,000 to 80,000 new cases being reported every year and chewing of tobacco and gutka contribute to 90 per cent of oral cancer in the country,” Mr Jaydip Biswas, Director, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI, said here.

He said the 17 regional cancer centres, including CNCI, had decided to join hands to fight the menace and urged the Prime Minister in this regard.

In a communication to the Prime Minister, the regional cancer centre directors said that easy availability of the mixture of toxic substances, which contain areca nut (supari), slaked lime and certain food additives, in small affordable pouches in every nook and corner of the country, has become a serious health hazard.

“A large number of children and youth in India are addicted to smokeless tobacco, which contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. There are 3,095 chemical components in tobacco, among them 28 are proven carcinogen,” Mr Biswas said.

According to the GATS, 34.6 percent adults consume some form of tobacco in India, 25.9 per cent adults use smokeless tobacco and 14.1 percent of youth in India between 13-15 years of age currently use any form of tobacco products.

The survey said that about two in three adults notice advertisements on promotions of tobacco products. Three in five current tobacco users (61.1 per cent) notice the health warning on tobacco product packages and one in three current tobacco users (31.5 per cent) thought of quitting because of the warning label.

The CNCI director said the magnitude of tobacco-related cancer, on an average, was on an upward trend in eastern and north-eastern India.

“This is largely due to high prevalence of tobacco consumption,” he said, adding that there was not much control on production and sale of gutka which is sold everywhere.

The director said that to combat such a dreadful situation, a strong campaign was required to be launched to regulate production, sale and use of gutka and pan masala in greater public interest.

April 13, 2011 - State governments struggling to close yawning budget gaps are fighting to get billions of dollars from a landmark 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement (MSA) that they counted on to help fund everything from Medicaid to elder care programs.

the tobacco companies are disputing about $5.2 billion in payments, according to the National Association of Attorneys General. Since 2006, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Lorillard Inc., and about 40 other cigarette makers that signed the settlement have withheld about $3.2 billion from the states. The companies claim the states failed to enforce a provision stopping small, rival cigarette companies that didn’t sign the settlement from undercutting them on prices.

Read more according to a story by Ben Hallman for the Center for Public Integrity.

April 13, 2011 - - Gone are the days when you could freely smoke or chew tobacco in public places. A new bill on tobacco products endorsed Monday, April 11th by Nepali legislature-parliament severely restricts tobacco consumption in public places. According to Tuesday's Republica daily, the new law to be enacted shortly was endorsed as part of Nepal's obligation to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and bans tobacco consumption in schools, colleges, hospitals, government offices, temples and public vehicles. Nepal is a party to the WHO convention. So we had the obligation to translate certain WHO provisions into national law," said Secretary at the Ministry of Law and Justice Madhav Poudel. Nepal signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) on 3 December 2003. Nepal ratified the WHO Framework Convention on 7 November 2006.

In an attempt to discourage smoking among youngsters, the law terms the selling of tobacco products to minors an offense. The law also bans the sale of cigarettes in separate sticks to make the cigarette purchase a bit difficult. The new law also stipulates that the tobacco companies fill 75 percent space of the packaging of the tobacco products with the facts about health hazards from tobacco consumption, and totally bans advertisements promoting tobacco use in any form. Legislature-Parliament Tuesday unanimously approved the Tobacco Product Control and Regulatory Bill, 2010. It will come into effect 90 days after the President approved it.

In an attempt to discourage smoking among youngsters, the law terms the selling of tobacco products to minors an offence. The law also bans the sale of cigarettes in separate sticks to make the cigarette purchase a bit difficult. "Now the people will have to buy cigarettes only in packets. It will certainly reduce tobacco sales," said UML chief whip Bhim Acharya adding that people would certainly have difficulties in the beginning, but they must get used to the new regulations. The new law also stipulates that the tobacco companies fill 75 percent space of the packaging of the tobacco products with the facts about health hazards from tobacco consumption, and totally bans advertisements promoting tobacco use in any form. "The best part of the new law is that it attempts to minimize the health risks non-smokers undergo because of smoking by others in public places," Acharya said.

"The parliament has endorsed the bill. Now it is up to the government to enforce the law. We hope the new law will be helpful in reducing the harms to the people caused by tobacco use," said Nepali Congress (NC) chief whip, Laxman Ghimire. Activists had long been demanding an effective law against the use of tobacco products in public places. < font color=purple>In Nepal, prevalence of smoking and tobacco use is 56.5 percent in men and 19.5 percent in women, which is higher in comparison to other countries. Tobacco use here is found to be higher among the poor and illiterate sections of the population. Brief Profile onTobacco Control in Nepal

April 13, 2011 - Conference call for analysts and investors will begin at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on April 26, 2011, which will be hosted by Murray S. Kessler, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and David H. Taylor, Executive Vice President, Finance and Planning and Chief Financial Officer. Investors can participate in the conference call by dialing (888) 239-6824 (domestic) or (706) 902-3787 (international). The passcode for this event is: 59461547.

The news release and a live webcast of the conference call will also be available under the Investor Relations section of Lorillard's website at www.lorillard.com.

The conference call will be available for replay in its entirety through May 3, 2011. If you wish to listen to the replay of this conference call, please visit Lorillard's website at www.lorillard.com or dial (800) 642-1687 (domestic) or (706) 645-9291 (international) and enter passcode: 59461547.

As a result these tobacco products can not delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, FedEX and DSL.

The PACT Act from June 29, 2010 makes it illegal to use the U.S. Postal Service to deliver any form of tobacco product (cigarettes and smokeless tobacco). FedEx, UPS and DSL — have bowed to state pressure and have refused to ship tobacco products. (U.S. PACT Law takes effect June 29, 2010..)

April 13, 2011 - The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) is warning consumers to be wary of free trial offers for electronic cigarettes.

Customers who tried to take advantage of ‘free’ Internet offers for smokeless cigarettes say they were burned by unexpected charges that totaled $100 or more. Ubiquitous and deceptive online websites for said “free trials” are even deceptively referencing news organizations like ABC and CBS in the promotion of their products.

Nationally, the BBB has received 360 complaints, including six from Minnesota consumers, against a Naples, Florida company called Direct E-Cig. The company calls its product a ‘revolutionary electronic smoking device designed as a great alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes.’ They have failed to respond to 170 of the complaints and have an “F” rating with the BBB.

“Customer complaints against Direct E-Cig show a clear pattern of misrepresentation,” said Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. “In many cases, consumers were unpleasantly surprised to find their credit cards were billed for $100 – or more – after ordering what they thought was a free starter kit.”

In response to some of the complaints, Direct E-Cig told the BBB its website notes that consumers must go through a cancellation process within 15 days “to avoid being billed the full price of the kit of $109.95 and future monthly shipments.” Several consumers said they received direct email solicitations from the company and never saw the cancellation policy.

Even if consumers are dissatisfied with the product and follow the return policy exactly, it appears that the so-called free trial offer will end up costing them money. The website notes that Direct E-Cig charges $7.50 for each opened or missing cartridge and a $10 restocking fee on all returns.

A warning in small print on the Direct E-Cig website notes that “This product contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance. It has not been approved by the FDA as a smoke cessation device.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers about potential health risks associated with electronic cigarettes. The FDA has said the products can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead them to try other tobacco products including conventional cigarettes.

The BBB offers the following advice for consumers who are considering taking advantage of free or low-cost trial offers for smokeless cigarettes or other products:

• Is the free trial offer related to a membership, subscription or extended service contract?• Do I have to contact the company to avoid receiving more merchandise or services?• Who do I contact to cancel?• Will I receive other products with the free item? If so, will I have to pay for them or send them back if I do not want them? How long do I have to decide before incurring a charge?• Is there a membership fee? If so, is it refundable?• Will you automatically bill my credit card for anything?• Who is offering the trial – you or another company? What is the name and address of the company?

State public health officials have been found the indoor smoking ban has resulted in an 89 percent improvement in air quality in North Carolina restaurants and bars in recent months. Air quality was measured using a machine that measures the number of particles in the air smaller than 2.5 micrograms. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency measures these particles in outdoor air because they are known to cause breathing problems and contribute to premature deaths. Burning tobacco releases significant amounts of these particles, officials said. (North Carolina - reaping the benefits of statewide smoking ban..)

A new poll released today April 5th by a coalition of public health groups finds 74 percent of North Carolina voters support the state's one and a half year old smoke-free law. The survey of 500 likely voters was released by the North Carolina Alliance for Health.

The poll found support for the smoke-free law cuts across party lines, including 78 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Independent voters. Among those who have a favorable view of the "Tea Party," 61 percent support keeping the law.

"These results show what we have always known – North Carolinians understand secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard, and they don't want their right to breathe clean air taken away," said Pam Seamans, Executive Director of the North Carolina Alliance for Health, the coalition that led the efforts to get the smoke-free legislation passed in 2009. "Although some special interests may not like the smoke-free law, it is clear the people of North Carolina overwhelmingly support being free from the toxic effects of secondhand smoke. This is one issue that unites North Carolinians across the political spectrum." A bill to repeal substantial parts of the state's smoke-free law (SB 469) was introduced on March 30 of this year.

Among North Carolina voters the survey also found:

* 55 percent are less likely to vote for candidates who wanted to weaken the law* 77 percent view exposure to secondhand smoke as a health hazard* 82 percent believe it is important for bars and restaurants to have a smoke-free environment

April 1, 2011 - 77-year-old Daytona Beach woman has won $300,000 in what likely is the first verdict against a tobacco company in Central Florida out of thousands of suits filed statewide by ailing, longtime smokers.

A Volusia jury has decided that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company is partly liable for the lung cancer suffered by Stella Koballa. A circuit judge will review the verdict at a future court hearing. In the Volusia case, jurors made their decision on Thursday after learning in the three-week trial that Koballa had smoked for 45 years, starting with a pack of Lucky Strikes when she was 16. She testified that she was addicted to nicotine, ultimately quitting in 1996 when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Ben Reid, an attorney for R.J. Reynolds, declined comment because a final ruling is pending. Jurors decided that Koballa was 70 percent liable for he cancer, while the tobacco company was 30 percent liable.

"We're happy with the result and we feel this was a victory for Ms. Koballa," said her attorney, Bill Ogle, whose Daytona Beach law firm, Mayfield & Ogle, is handling about 150 similar cases in Orange, Brevard and Volusia counties.Ben Reid, an attorney for R.J. Reynolds, declined comment because a final ruling is pending.

Koballa and other longtime smokers were originally covered under a class-action lawsuit against the tobacco companies that resulted in a $145 billion jury award, the largest amount in punitive damages in U.S. history. The lead plaintiff was the late Dr. Howard Engle, a Miami pediatrician.

In 2006, the Florida Supreme Court threw out the Engle award, ruling that longtime smokers would have to file individual lawsuits against the cigarette makers. But the new lawsuits are allowed to use some of the Engle case evidence that tobacco companies had concealed — that smoking cigarettes is addictive and harmful to a smoker's health.

After the Supreme Court ruling, more than 8,000 cases, now called the "Engle progeny," were filed and are still wading through the Florida and federal courts.

Six years later, a Florida jury found that cigarettes cause lung cancer and other illness and ordered the tobacco companies to pay a record $145 billion in punitive damages to sick smokers. But the Florida Supreme Court threw out the award in 2006 and decertified the original cases of about 700,000 Florida smokers, but ruled the individual cases could proceed. That allowed for thousands of individual cases to move forward through Florida's courts. (Cigarette Makers Face Thousands of New Florida Lawsuits..)

Only 40 cases have reached juries, with about 27 verdicts awarding damages to the plaintiffs, said Edward L. Sweda, Jr., a senior attorney at the Tobacco Products Liability Project at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, which tracks these cases.

Jury awards have ranged from $86,000 to more than $46 million. "Overall, that is a pretty good track record," said Sweda. "The larger awards, especially, show that juries have been outraged at the history of the conduct of tobacco companies."

Meanwhile, the smaller awards and the cases that tobacco companies did win show how juries also have to weigh the personal decisions of the longtime smokers.

In the Volusia case, jurors made their decision on Thursday after learning in the three-week trial that Koballa had smoked for 45 years, starting with a pack of Lucky Strikes when she was 16. She testified that she was addicted to nicotine, ultimately quitting in 1996 when she was diagnosed with lung cancer.The majority of these cases involve elderly smokers who started well before the health warnings came out,” McGrane said. “It becomes a more difficult decision for a jury in a case in which the smoker did know the health risks.”

'But the stakes are huge,” he said. “Imagine if all 8,000 plaintiffs won just $300,000. That’s $2.4 billion in verdicts against the tobacco companies.”

April 12, 2011 - An interesting and novel revenue-raising measure that would help place doctors in underserved areas of the state is pending in the Legislature. While Senate Bill 233 isn't a perfect solution to addressing the state's physician shortage, it would help in the short run, as well as the long run. And it might be the most palatable way to tap into a new revenue source. We believe it should advance.

The bill would increase the state tax on moist snuff, which is one of several forms of smokeless tobacco. The measure would eliminate the existing 20 percent tax on moist snuff and replace it with a $1.20 per ounce tax. An estimated $8 million to $9 million a year would be raised that would be directed to the Physician Manpower Training Commission, which would use the funds to attract primary care physicians to parts of the state that don't have enough doctors.

The higher tax is attractive on several levels. Higher taxes on tobacco products are proven to help bring down consumption. More primary care doctors in underserved areas obviously would help address chronic and costly health problems in those communities.

Texas has had considerable success in placing doctors in needed areas through a similar program.

But as we said, it's not a perfect solution. Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove, is a physician who predictably supports such programs, but he opposes this particular measure, calling it a "great quick fix" that locks in taxes on a dangerous product.

He'd like a feature that would ensure future adjustments for inflation - a great idea but politically questionable at this time.

One novel feature of SB 233 is that if lawmakers don't approve it by the necessary 75 percent supermajorities in each chamber, then it automatically becomes a referendum that would be decided in a statewide vote. That's a nifty approach that could just about ensure passage.

Given this state's long-festering health ills, lawmakers owe it to their constituents to advance any measure that could help address them.

April 11, 2011 DESPITE the mountains of information warning us of the dangers of smoking, young Australians are lighting up in droves. They're not old enough to legally buy a pack of cigarettes but almost 60,000 Australian children aged 15-17 are regular smokers.

Although smoking rates have declined over recent decades, young people were the most likely to have increased the amount they smoked in the past year, a new report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has found.

Five percent of children aged 12-15 smoke according to another study, the Australian Secondary Schools Alcohol and Drugs Survey, and experts say the number of young people still taking up the deadly habit means a lot more needs to be done.

"Clearly, there's enough promotion still to attract young people," he says. "If you made a movie about Winston Churchill you'd expect him to have a cigar but why does Sigourney Weaver smoke in Avatar? There's still product placement in movies."

There is also pack design intended to lure impressionable young customers. Tobacco companies and their deep pockets are fighting plans to make Australia the first country to introduce plain packaging from next year, claiming it infringes on their intellectual property.

Quit Victoria executive director Fiona Sharkie says it would be the most significant public health reform in decades: "If plain packaging stops young people (smoking), it's a good thing."

Tobacco giants fight on

Ms Sharkie says smoking rates have never been lower but there are still too many young people smoking.

"Smoking is part of socialisation. If your friends don't smoke you probably won't and if your parents don't smoke, you probably won't," she says. "But if you're with a group who smoke, you'll try it."

The price of a pack of 30 cigarettes rose by more than $2 after the Federal Government imposed a 25 per cent tax hike a year ago, taking the retail price to more than $16 per pack. It is expected that smoking rates will fall further as a result.

Mr Olver says, "Every 10 per cent that you lift the price can drop a country's smoking rate by between three and four per cent."

Anyone under the age of 35 would never have seen an advertisement for cigarettes on TV and children under 12 are the best advocates for quitting, says Ms Sharkie: "They are well aware of the health effects and they nag their parents about stopping smoking."

Anne Jones, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, says apart from plain packaging, all tobacco advertising and promotion should be banned, as should the additives that make cigarettes more palatable to new smokers.

"But the industry is fighting the government on every front, all to protect their own commercial interests so they can continue selling an addictive, lethal product that's killing 15,000 Australians each year," ms Jones says.

Because so many different types of outlets sell cigarettes, from supermarkets to convenience stores, access is easy and compliance monitoring extremely difficult. Ms Jones says about 20 percent of teenagers are buying smokes from sales assistants who fail to check their identification.